10. Wizard brooms

****

The following morning Harry Potter saw Hedwig his owl. She was in her cage gazing at the wizards as they prepared to feast in the spacious Dining Hall. Ron, Fred, and George, were already out of bed. They got dressed in their Gryffindor colours. "Wake up, Harry!", Ron yelled. Harry Potter grabbed his glasses which were on the left dresser in the rooms. Errol, Ron's owl, crashed into the glass. "Errol!​", Ron shouted. The owl shook its head. "Is he going to be alright, Ron?", George asked. "I hope so", Ron sighed. Suddenly, to their shock, a golden broom was lying on the ground next to Fred's bed. "Hey, look at this". Harry looked at the wizard broom. Written on the left side of it were the words: L. Malfoy​. "It's Draco's father's broom", George stated. Before either of them could do anything they were interrupted by a knocking at the dorm room door. Harry Potter opened the door. Outside was Dobby the house-elf. "Harry Potter! It's an honour to see you again; a honour! But Dobby isn't happy. Dobby has stolen the wizard broom of his former Master, Lucius Malfoy". Harry Potter gripped the wizard broom. On the right were more words: 1969. ​"Lucius was a young wizard back then", he said. Dobby nodded. He was eager to believe that Draco Malfoy's father wouldn't leave his own magic broom in the Gryffindor dorms; Lucius was Slytherin. ​Maybe he had a fight in the hallway; maybe he dropped the broom by accident​, he thought to himself. Harry picked up the broom. He felt the scar on his forehead burn. "Don't touch it", he said. Dobby gripped the ancient broom. "Dobby will take it", it said. Fred Weasley was about to do something when loud shouting came from outside. Harry opened the door. "What's going on?", Argus Flich asked. Harry was about to say something before Mrs. Norris hissed at him. He ignored the cat, and focused on the dark hallway. "​Get the broom...get the broom...get the broom...​", a voice said. Harry Potter blinked his eyes. "I was just getting the old broom of Lucius Malfoy". Argus Filch shook his head. "Lucius isn't a student of Hogwarts. He was a long time ago", he stated. Fred attempted to grip the broom but it moved by itself. "It's haunted", he said. "It's a Slytherin broom", George Weasley uttered. Harry Potter picked it up. The picture of a slithering snake was on prominent display. "Harry...you're not Slytherin", Ron Weasley gasped. Harry Potter held onto the broom in his right hand. He then focused on the Gryffindor windows. Before he could do anything, Argus Filch snatched the broom out of his right hand. He walked down the long hallway...and headed to the dark dungeon.